16 Little Ways He Says 'I Love You'

Dear Ladies Who Are On The Fence About Whether Or Not to Dump The Guy Who's Taking You For Granted: here's what you should be hearing from the guy who's worthy of your time. Maybe not right away, but within, say, 3-6 months. Otherwise, hit the "next" button. For the sake of both you and all the guys out there who are waiting for you to be single again.

1. I adore you. This isn’t about sex, this isn't about desire. This is about how you make me glow whenever you walk into a room, glad that you just exist, whether I'm the guy beside you or just someone admiring you from twenty feet away.

2. You inspire me. I love how you're living your life, what you're devoting yourself to, how you're spending your time, what path you've chosen, how you deal with the people around you.

3. I respect you. You're the first person I think of when I want a serious opinion on something. Anything. From topics like "Am I being an asshole here?" to "Which is better, Mad Men or Breaking Bad?"

4. I just love kissing you. Ok, so, years from now, if by some awful paragliding accident we both end up paralyzed and have no use of our lower extremities and can never get it on again, I'll still feel pretty good about it as long as I can just kiss you as much as I want.

5. I don't want to change you. Yes, there are some things about you that I don't get. That I don't love. But you're you. And all the other stuff that comes with you, I would never want to lose. So I don't want to disturb the equation. I want to keep it intact. And just help it grow.

6. I accept your drama. Sure, you've got some anger issues with your mom. Or dad. Or sister. Or job that you're trying to get out of. I can handle that, even when it's a bit exhausting. I even support it. None of us is drama-free, me especially. I respect that you’re fighting against something.

7. I've totally got the hots for you. As in: seriously, can we get these clothes off already? I'm dying here. We should really find our way to the nearest bedroom. Or kitchen. Or rooftop.

8. I love that you tell me off sometimes. Seriously. I may not always admit it, but I respect it. I'm full of bullshit sometimes, and I like to know you won't take it. If I'm gonna have someone by my side, I better know she didn't just fall for the first guy that came along, and she'll keep holding me to my higher standards. I don't want a pushover.

9. You're on my mind. Constantly. Especially when I'm supposed to be thinking about something else. When I'm at work, giving a presentation, watching a movie with my buds. There you are, all in the middle of my shit, outta nowhere. And yet, I can't help but smile.

10. You captivate me. You have my full attention. I'm not thinking about her. Or her. Or her. Just you. Oh, and that presentation I have this week. And my taxes that are due. But mostly just you.

11. I forgive you. The other day, you were completely crazy. Seriously, you went off the deep end about something. You blamed me for something I didn’t do, or didn't actually say, or didn't actually think. But hey, you’re human, you're allowed a 'gimme' now & then. (As am I.) And look, with all the beauty you bring to my life, I'm still coming out way ahead.

12. I love you. Sorry to get all heavy on you, but it's true. While the last guy you dated for three years could never say it, I'm telling you now: I love you. You're wonderful. I want to be more like you. I want others to be more like you. I want whatever kids we might hypothetically have together to be like you. You're my idea of a fantastic person. I want to help you be as 'you' as possible.

13. I can't stop talking about you. You're not some little secret I keep. Or hide. You’re my favorite thing on the planet. I told my mom about you before we even had our first date. I told my buddies about you immediately after our first date (didn’t wanna jinx it). You’re a story I could tell over and over and over again.

14. I see my future with you. Sure, I may not say this right away—I mean hopefully I won’t say this right away, for fear of scaring you off — but I’m thinking about it. We men, we can be planners, we can project, we can get ahead of ourselves. And me? I wanna get ahead of myself with you.

15. I just need to hold you. I may not always feel like having sex. I may not always feel like kissing. But I just need to be kinda near you. Be next to you. Be unable to lay away from you on the bed without wrapping myself around you. I don’t even understand it, frankly, but I do. So accept it, please. It’s something that something inside of me knows I need.

16. Thank you. For existing. For being you. For having your smile. For having the laugh that you do. For laughing at the things you do. For not laughing at the things you think are too stupid. For having a point of view and a strong sense of self. For wearing that amazing skirt the day I met you. For not wearing it when I introduced you to my mom. For having your standards. For getting pissed off when something matters. For showing your appreciation when you see beauty. For just existing. Seriously, I may never even get a chance with you, and if so, so be it. I’m just glad the universe made you. It makes me feel a lot better about the place I live in. But, barring that, come here please. I need to kiss you now. And for a while after that.